Plans & other things that always go south
Thursday, 11 February 2010 04:24:34

I know this will amaze the hell out of everyone, but I'm not good at making plans. Well, not plans that work. Hence, I don't generally make them. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants and let the pieces fall where they fall. This works for me. Chaos. I'm comfortable with that. That's how I roll. Other people, not so much... It drives people around me crazy that I don't have a plan. Does anybody have a plan? Really? I can't make plans when I don't know what is going to happen. I figure as long as I've got food & shelter & a way to get around, I'm good. Sure, I like having some extra coin left over. I'm happier when I have money. I'm MUCH easier to get along with when I'm not broke. But basic needs are covered. Where I have trouble is, folks think they can take advantage. I'm very friendly and easy-going. People tend to mistake that for weak and stupid. They try to pay me less, or not at all, after the papers are signed & the job's been done. I may be a rolling stone, a wanderer, no roots in the community; but that doesn't mean you don't have to give me my gorram money! I do what I was contracted to do, and very well; I expect to be paid commensurately. (Yes, ranting now, bear with me) I can barely cover my expenses, and will probably be significantly out of pocket by the time I'm done! Oh yeah, not happy. Not happy at all. To add insult to injury, I can't even recoup on my income tax because that's "covered in the contract" by the "tax free" pittance that I get. It is not even up to par with federal per diem rates. I can't even express to you how irritable this fact has made me! Oh, and these fucktards can't understand why I don't want to extend with them & stay longer. Hmmm, why don't I?

Firefly moment
Thursday, 11 February 2010 09:09:26

So a certain author (moi) posted a chapter lately where Mal felt sincerely sorry for Jayne. Which got me to thinking if it was the first time. Which got me to thinking about him swinging at him in Ariel, and then on to Jayne's comment: 'Don't tell anyone'. And that got me to thinking 'How would Mal explain Jayne's sudden death, if he's not allowed to mention the reason?' I invite you all to have a stab at this scene. Here's mine: Mal: (entering mess) Jayne's dead. All: (gasping) OH NO! Zoe: (phlegmatically) What happened? Mal: I shut him in the air lock and then opened it. Book: (sternly) That was bad, Mal! Why did you do it? Mal: He made a morally reprehensible decision that compelled me to execute him. Inara: (angrily) How could you? Mal: Weren't difficult: hit him round the head hard enough to kill a lesser man, then dragged him... Simon: (laughing happily) You did the right thing Mal! River: Jaffa cakes. Kaylee: (sadly) Poor Jayne. I really liked him. Wash: (cheerfully) Oh well, never mind. The End.

Simon and Kaylee
Thursday, 11 February 2010 17:29:39

So in Aliasse's recent story, the question was brought up about just how compatible Simon and Kaylee really are. Aside from being on Serenity, and Kaylee having a crush on Simon, and Simon apparently being fairly comfortable as the recipient of that crush (with occasional, mostly unsuccessful attempts to encourage her after Jaynestown), they don't have much in common. Specifically, it was asked, if they were to have a life together, what could they DO together, like in the sense of work? He's a doctor, and she's a mechanic. It could be argued that their roles ARE their lives, and those lives, and what dreams they have associated with them, are incompatible. But as ever, I'm game for a good thought puzzle. So here's some stuff I came up with. 1) If everyone stays on Serenity forever, there's no problem with their jobs not keeping them together because their jobs tie them to the ship. If they don't stay on the ship: 2) We could go the route that Mal4Prez hints at, where Simon and Kaylee work together fixing up medical machines (maybe Kaylee could design artificial limbs for amputees) and maybe start a clinic. 3) Kaylee could decide to pursue mechanics more as a hobby, and be nurse to Simon's doctor. Of all the crew, Kaylee seems to be least bound by her job. She loves mechanics, she knows a lot about it, but she has no formal training, so she's not cornered into JUST being a mechanic. And she potentially could love a lot of other jobs, I mean, look at how much she likes people in general. She'd like helping them, and helping Simon help them I think. 4) What's to say their differences have to keep them apart? I know plenty of couples who have no common interests. The wife works one job, the husband works another. So long as they can respect each other when they get home and there's still affection between them, they stay together. Who doesn't love Kaylee? It's impossible to stay mad at her! And Simon is her dream romance, the classy Core guy who sweeps her off her feet that she's always talking with Inara about. Affection isn't a problem. And they're both smart, in their own ways, Kaylee is the engineer and Simon is the scientist, so there's a basis of respect. And they get along well and can carry on a conversation, it's not like there are glaring obstacles there. So they may end up with separate work lives, but they still have plenty they can share. Really, ultimately, the biggest issue they might have is River. For a relationship with Simon to work, Kaylee has to be able to make a permanent space for River in her life, and even possibly take up some of the care-giving duties.